Collating device



March 31, 1964 w. c. HOFF COLLATING DEVICE Filed 001:. 16, 1962- WALLY CHARLES HOFF United States Patent 3,127,164 CGLLATING DEVICE Wally Charles Hod, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (65 Crocirford Blvd, Scarborough 4, Ontario, Canada) Filed Oct. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 230,934 Claims. ((31. 270-53) This invention relates to improvements in collating devices.

A number of devices for collating paper sheets have heretofore been proposed, such devices having as a prime object the positive delivery and stacking of sheets having a variety of sizes. While such devices generally do collate paper of a given size some difficulty is often experienced in attempting to change over to sheets of a different size.

Furthermore, is is of importance to provide adjustment to diiferent paper sizes of suflicient range to cover at least those paper sizes encountered in normal business practice, the adjustment being conveniently achieved by average office personnel. Many prior devices usually provide some means of adjusting to difiierent paper sizes, however the range of adjustment is often limited to two or three paper sizes thus seriously limiting the application of such machines in even a small oflice.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a collating device which is adaptable to a wide range of paper sheet sizes by simple manipulation of each paper tray thereon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a collating device which will positively deliver a number of single sheets from a number of single stacks by the operation of a single hand knob or foot pedal.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a collating device adapted for convenient loading of individual trays in order to replenish the paper thereon.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a collating device according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an individual paper tray as removed from the device in FIGURE 1 and with out paper sheets thereon;

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of the tray illustrated in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a rear view of the device as illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial side view of a further embodiment of the invention.

With reference to FIGURE 1 a collating device indicated generally as 11 comprises frame 12 to which is secured a pair of cross supports 13 and 14. Frame 12 is provided with legs 15, 16, 17, and 18 to which are normally fitted pads 19 to prevent slippage and marring of polished surfaces.

A pair of rails 26, 20 are in substantially parallel alignment and are rigidly secured to supports 13 and 14 by convenient means such as rivets 21. A plurality of cutouts 22 are provided along the top edges of each rail 20, 2t and are adapted to receive trays 23, 24, each of similar construction.

Each tray 23, 24- has a lower turned up lip 25 provided with notches 26 which engage with projections 27 on rails 26, 20. Upon trays 23, 24 being installed thereon, notches 26 and projections 27 cooperate in holding trays 23, 24 within cutouts 22.

Slidably secured to each back plate 28 of trays 23, 24 is a pair of side members 29, 30 detail of which may be seen by reference to FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3. Each side member 29, 30 has an upstanding portion to which 3,127,164 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 is secured resilient pad 31 and a sliding portion adjacent plate 28 having a stirrup 32 secured to the back thereof which projects through slots 33 and 34 in plate 28. A formed spring 35 engages with plate 28 and stirrup 32 in the manner as illustrated in FIGURE 3 to pressurably bias side members 29, 36 to plate 28.

With reference to FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 4 it will be seen that the device is provided with a slide bar 36 reciprocally mounted on cross supports 13 and 14. A number of resilient fingers 37 are rigidly secured along the length of bar 36 and support an equal number of soft pads 38 at the free extremities thereof. In normal operation each pad 38 is adapted to bear on paper 39 stacked in each tray 24 located on the device.

Handle means 40 swingably mounted on frame 12 is adapted by reciprocal movement to cause bar 36 to slide and thus tension springs 41. A foot operated pedal 42 is mounted for vertical movement in bearing 43 formed as part of cross brace 44 secured to legs 17, 18. Attachment of pedal 42 to handle means 40 is provided by link 45 secured to rod 46 between said handle means.

In use a number of stacks of paper 39 are placed within trays 24, the number of stacks depending of course upon the number of sheets to be collated. In order to load the device it is considered more convenient to incline trays 24 in a direction opposite to that shown in the drawings so that back plates 28 are uppermost. This method is of especial value when adding subsequent amounts of paper to sheets already stacked in the device.

Once paper 39 has been placed in the trays side members 29, 317! may be pushed up snug so that resilient pads 31 are in contact with the edges of the paper. By depression of handle means 4% slide bar 36 is caused to move forward against spring 41 and at the same time fingers 37 move pads 33 downwardly over paper 39 which is prevented from moving by clip 25 on trays 24.

Upon release of handle 411 pads 38 move back over the surface of the topmost sheet of paper. Since the friction between pad 38 and paper 39 is greater than that between the individual sheets one sheet, that is the topmost one, is forced upwardly above the normal position in the stack. This is true for all top sheets in all stacks in the device and upon all such sheets being proud of the rest it becomes a comparatively simple matter to remove such sheets from the device, these sheets now being in the required order.

It will be noted that pedal 42 may be used in place of handle means 411 in order to operate the device, this method having the particular advantage of leaving the operators hands free to remove the sheets from the device as aforesaid.

Upon it being desirable to use paper of a different size it will be seen that adjustment of trays 23 may be done simply and easily by moving side members 29, 30 to the desired width. Moreover, it will be understood that side members may be removed by withdrawing springs 35 and reversed in order that the upstanding portions may be placed close together to accommodate unusually narrow paper stock.

According to a further embodiment the invention may be provided for electrical operation. FIGURE 5 shows the collating device 11 having legs 1'7 and 18 and rails 21) extending therefrom as in FIGURE 1. Cutouts 22 receive trays 23 therein and sheets of paper are individually moved therefrom by means of fingers 37 which are themselves collectively operated in unison by slide bar 36. In this further embodiment, however, slide bar 36 is operated by means of electrical solenoid 47 mounted on cross support 14 and rails 26 and having an armature connecting rod 48 extending therefrom fastened to slide bar 36 by link 49, actuation of electrical solenoid 47 causing axial movement of connecting rod 48 and corresponding movement of slide bar 36 in one direction, reverse movement being produced by springs 4-1. Cable 59 connects solenoid 47 to a suitable electrical outlet, through footswitch 51 which may be permitted to lie on the floor heneath the instant collating device in any suitable location.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention comprises a supporting frame to which are removably secured a number of trays each adapted to hold a stack of paper. Foot pedal as well as handle means and electrical power are optionally used to operate a number of fingers to discharge single sheets from each stack. In addition each tray has a pair of side members which are adjustable to accommodate paper of various widths.

It will be further understood that although one preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed that various alterations in design are contemplated such as fall within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A collating device comprising: a supporting frame; a pair of rails secured to said frame in parallel relationship; a plurality of spaced cutouts in each said rails having projections at the edges of said cutouts; a plurality of paper trays each including a back plate; an upwardly formed lip on each said plate having a pair of notches, said notches cooperating with said projections to removably secure said trays to said rails; a bar mounted on said frame for reciprocal movement beneath said trays; resilient fingers secured to said bar and biased against said trays; and means for operation of said bar thereby to move said fingers over said trays.

2. A collating device comprising: a supporting frame; a pair of rails secured to said frame in parallel relationship; a plurality of spaced cutouts in each said rails having projections at the edges of said cutouts; a plurality of paper trays each including a back plate; an upwardly formed lip on each said plate having a pair of notches, said notches cooperating with said projections to removably secure said trays to said rails; bar means mounted for reciprocal movement parallel to said rails and beneath said trays; deformable fingers secured to said bar means; a resilient pad secured to the free end of each said fingers, said pads being biased against said trays by said fingers; handle means to operate said bar means to move said pads downwardly over said back plates; and spring means to return said handle means thereby moving said pads upwardly over said back plates to project a single sheet of paper from each said tray.

3. A collating device comprising: a supporting frame; a pair of rails secured to said frame in parallel relationship; a plurality of spaced cutouts in each said rails having projections at the edges of said cutouts; at least one paper tray comprising a back plate having a pair of horizontal slots therein; a pair of side members including an upstanding portion and a sliding portion; a stirrup secured to each said sliding portion and projecting through said slots; a spring member through said stirrup and bearing on said back plate to bias said side member thereto; resilient pads secured to said upstanding portions; a bar mounted on said frame for reciprocal movement beneath said trays; resilient fingers secured to said bar and biased against said trays; and foot pedal means for operating said bar thereby to move said fingers over said trays.

4. A collating device comprising: a supporting frame; a pair of rails secured to said frame in parallel relationship; a plurality of spaced cutouts in each said rails having projections at the edges of said cutouts; at least one paper tray comprising a back plate having a pair of horizontal slots therein; a pair of side members including an upstanding portion and a sliding portion; a stirrup secured to each said sliding portion and projecting through said slots; a spring member through said stirrup and bearing on said back plate to bias said side member thereto; resilient pads secured to said upstanding portions; an upwardly formed lip on each said plate having a pair of notches, said notches cooperating with said projections to removably secure said trays to said rails; bar means mounted for reciprocal movement parallel to said rails and beneath said trays; deformable fingers secured to said bar means; a resilient pad secured to the free end of each said fingers, said pads being biased against said trays by said fingers; handle means to operate said bar means to move said pads downwardly over said back plates; spring means to return said handle means thereby moving said pads upwardly over said back plates to project a single sheet of paper from each said tray; and foot pedal means operably secured to said bar means.

5. A collating device comprising: a supporting frame; a pair of rails secured to said frame in parallel relationship; a plurality of spaced cutouts in each said rail having projections at the edges thereof; at least one paper tray comprising a back plate having a pair of horizontal slots therein; a pair of side members including an upstanding portion and a sliding portion; a stirrup secured to each sliding portion and projecting through said slots; a spring member through said stirrup and bearing on said back plate to bias said side member thereto; an upwardly formed lip on each said plate having a pair of notches cooperating with said projections to removably secure said trays to said rails; a bar mounted on said frame for reciprocal movement beneath said trays; resilient fingers secured to said bar and biased against said trays; electrically operated means connected to said bar means for procuring movement thereof in one direction for downward operation of said fingers; spring means connected to said bar biasing the same to move in the reverse direction for upward movement of said fingers; and a footswitch connected to said electrically operated means for controlling operation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,556 Dixon Nov. 1, 1910 2,482,357 McKune Sept. 20, 1949 2,599,829 Hernblad June 10, 1952 

1. A COLLATING DEVICE COMPRISING: A SUPPORTING FRAME; A PAIR OF RAILS SECURED TO SAID FRAME IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP; A PLURALITY OF SPACED CUTOUTS IN EACH SAID RAILS HAVING PROJECTIONS AT THE EDGES OF SAID CUTOUTS; A PLURALITY OF PAPER TRAYS EACH INCLUDING A BACK PLATE; AN UPWARDLY FORMED LIP ON EACH SAID PLATE HAVING A PAIR OF NOTCHES, SAID NOTCHES COOPERATING WITH SAID PROJECTIONS TO REMOVABLY SECURE SAID TRAYS TO SAID RAILS; A BAR MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT BENEATH SAID TRAYS; RESILIENT FINGERS SECURED TO SAID BAR AND BIASED AGAINST SAID TRAYS; AND MEANS FOR OPERATION OF SAID BAR THEREBY TO MOVE SAID FINGERS OVER SAID TRAYS. 